A total of 26,976 applications have been submitted by farmers to the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) this year. New figures released by the Department of Agriculture show that the first four tranches of the scheme have been very attractive for farmers.

Tranches one and two carried 8,203 and 9,110 applications from farmers, respectively, with tranche two running over six months in duration. Tranches three and four have seen 3,799 and 5,864 applications, respectively.

Popular items across the four tranches so far have been solar PV panels, head scoops and skulling gates, as well as bale slicers and mobile sheep and cattle handling equipment.

The Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FSCIS) has proven hugely popular, ranking it the second most commonly applied to sub schemes across all tranches due to its higher grant rate of 60% available to all farmers.